Amazing Kids Birthday Party Games And Ideas!

Updated on November 28, 2011

Kids Birthday Party Games

Taming a flock of wild children on a sugar-high as they tear about the house can be an arduous task, especially with the promise of the same boring games that generation after generation of kids have inherited from their out-of-sync, but well-wishing parents.

This article's sole purpose is to conjure up some vibrant kids birthday party games and ideas that will concentrate minds, educate and let everyone involved get some fun -- kids and parents alike! Not every game will work with it's audience, and not every kid is the same, but hopefully this article will arm you with the right ideas and course of action. Without further a-do, it's time to make our way into the very colorful, loud and humorous world of birthdays for kids.

Kids birthday party ideas that won't bore your socks off!

Light, Camera, Action!

What kinds of games do kids enjoy? Games that create a small rapt audience need to tickle a trinity of values. Ideally:

Tickling the child's burning and boundless curiosity.

A game that is interactive and stimulates the senses (color, touch, sounds or smells).

One that challenges them, without excluding them in a social event.

For instance, scavenger hunts are a timeless classic because they appeal to all three rules of thumb listed above. While there is only one winner, the fact that everyone else loses means the kids don't feel excluded and dejected over not having won. But we can go one-up on scavenger hunts can't we? Yes, yes we can.

That's a... wait what?

What You'll Need

Enough paper to serve as many children as possible. Or:

A whiteboard / blackboard that the kids can use to illustrate their drawing.

Colored pens, pencils and crayons. The more the merrier!

That's A Fronkey!

While researching this article, I became instantly enamored by the Animammal Conference Game. This game is immensely fun and educating for all involved. Drawing upon their knowledge of animals, the kids will each be given a piece of paper which has the name of an animal or mammal written on it. Every child is then paired up with another kid and as a team they have to try and combine their animals into a new one!

There are several ways of doing this in a fun way. You could either have each couple attempt to draw it on a white/black board and have the audience guess what combination of animals it is. Or, you could have each pair draw it on their own piece of paper and have them stand up in turn and share it with everyone else (including the often ridiculously funny names that they give them). The only catch with the second option is that the paper will generally have to be quite big, which can be expensive with large gatherings of kids.

Totally Gross!

Despite the eyebrow-raising title, this game is the best option I could find when it comes to simultaneously educating and amusing a small group of kids (I would say aged 8-10 based on feedback). Here are the facts:

2-4 players.

Recommended for ages 8 and up.

The questions and game revolves around educating kids about science; "gross" and embarrassing bodily functions are the centerpiece.

May present a choking hazard for children under 3!

The potential downside to this, is that while kids absolutely adore this stuff (including the included goop), adults may find this advertised (i.e gross). The plus side is that if you are hosting a hand-sized party of kids, this is a guaranteed way to keep them glued to the board in hysterics.

The Timeless Egg and Spoon Race

If there's something more alluring to a kid than rampaging inside a house, it's that of rampaging outside the house.

What I love about egg and spoon races is that they are both hilarious and stimulating for kids. Building and promoting spatial intelligence and coordination are as paramount to growth as education.

The reason I chose to include this cheap set on the right from Amazon is because with a large or mid-sized gathering of kids, having them mercilessly break scores of eggs needlessly seems a bit of a waste. This kit includes re-breakable eggs, which seems highly convenient.

Rather than simply create a finish-line and have the kids cross it, I often prefer creating funny obstacle courses as an added challenge. The chances that anyone will get to the end is lowered dramatically, but the fun is in the failing -- not the winning. Happily for us the kids know this, and the cheers and jeers they receive when they drop the eggs will make them feel great rather than dejected!

When All Else Fails...

Let creativity reign! I recall that my favorite party as a kid was one where parents unrolled a room-wide white canvas and littered the floor with crayons, pens and other creative tools. We spent hours creating artistic havoc on the parchment. The result? A fantastic memento and tapestry that the family still proudly adorns their wall to this day. A fantastic win-win scenario!